The families of the two American journalists detained by North Korea are asking the North to release the two women.

The North sentenced Laura Ling and Euna Lee to 12 years of hard labor on Monday.

In a statement Tuesday, the families said they are “shocked and devastated by the outcome of the trial."

They asked the government of North Korea to show compassion by granting Laura and Euna clemency and allowing them to return home to their families.

They said Ling has a "serious medical condition that is sure to be exacerbated by the drastic sentence" and that Lee's four-year-old daughter is displaying signs of anguish over the absence of her mother.

The families also said they remain hopeful that the governments of the United States and North Korea can come to an agreement that will result in the release of the reporters.

The two journalists were detained by the North near its border with China for alleged “hostile acts.”